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Fresh Strawberry Cake has layer of rich vanilla cake with strawberries and cream frosting in between. Perfect for birthdays and parties or just a fancy summer dessert treat.
Strawberries are the epitome of spring and summer desserts. Just take a look at our Berry Parfait with Lemon Whipped Cream and Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Both are loaded with berries just like this cake.
Table of Contents
Fancy Strawberry Cake
This Fresh Strawberry Cake recipe starts with a rich, moist vanilla cake that is divided into three layers, and slathered with the most light and fluffy whipped cream and cream cheese frosting, and it’s overflowing with fresh strawberries.
It’s a light yet filling treat that’s perfect for summer. It’s the best Strawberry Cake you’ve ever had!
How to Make Fresh Strawberry Cake
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
The vanilla cake is dense, almost like a pound cake but fluffier, which is of course perfect for this Strawberry Shortcake type dessert. In the original recipe I found, there were instructions for making a two layer cake, but if this homemade strawberry cake was going to be fancy enough to satisfy my boy, it had to have three layers. I increased the recipe and made a couple of adjustments, which I’ll share in the recipe below.
- Prep. Always, always preheat your oven for even cooking. Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 3, 9-inch round baking pans.
- Mix. Combine all of the ingredients as described in the recipe, dry ingredients in one bowl and wet in another. I use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Make sure to carefully follow the measurements.
- Pour. Divide the batter into the three pans. Having a kitchen scale would come in handy here, but you can also just eyeball it. Tap the pans on the counter a few times to release air bubbles. This will result in a flatter top for your cake layers.
- Bake. Slide the pans into the oven and bake for about 35 minutes. The tops should be golden and should spring back when lightly touched. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cake layers in the pans for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
How to Frost a Fresh Strawberry Cake
The fresh strawberry frosting was positively glorious! With fresh, homemade whipped cream, a little sugar (I use granulated but you can also use powdered sugar) and tons of fresh strawberries, it’s light and fresh and creamy, and the perfect way to balance out the heaviness of the cake. Whipping in some cream cheese helps to stabilize the frosting and keep it from melting too quickly.
Topped with fresh strawberry slices, this Fresh Strawberry Cake is the perfect springtime dessert. It’s got fresh strawberries for real strawberry flavor and a creamy smooth texture.
- Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat whipped cream until stiff peaks form. This will take several misnutes at high speed, but is crucial to stabilizing the frosting. *TIP – chill the metal bowl and whisk in the freezer for 20 minutes to help keep the whipped cream cold. Set the whipped cream in the refrigerator while you whip the cream cheese.
- Beat the cream cheese with sugar and vanilla for several minutes. It should be super creamy and fluffy.
- Add chopped strawberries to the cream cheese, then fold in the chilled whipped cream.
- Make sure your cake is completely cooled before adding the frosting.
FAQs
Yes, you can, keeping in mine that the recipe is for a 3 layer cake so it will make a lot of cupcakes. You can use the slider in the recipe card to change the serving from 12 to 8 to easily cut the recipe by a third if you like. As is, it will make around 36 cupcakes.
As with the cupcakes, you’d have batter left over using the recipe as is. If you use the slider to go from 12 to 8 servings, this will reduce the recipe and make it doable for a baking dish instead of 3 layers.
I recommend using cake flour for this fresh strawberry cake. It will give a lighter, fluffier texture.
No, frozen berries have a lot of liquid and won’t hold up well in the frosting. I recommend using fresh.
You can make just the vanilla cake up to 2 days in advance. Cool, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to frost. I suggest preparing the frosting no more than a couple of hours in advance. If you must make the frosting in advance, you can do so but don’t add the strawberries until just before icing the cake.
This Strawberry Cake should be stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The whipped cream strawberry frosting will melt if left out for too long. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve, then right back in the fridge after slicing and serving. You can lightly cover it with plastic wrap to keep it moist.
Before you add your chopped berries to the frosting or to garnish the cake, wash them in a water and vinegar solution and dry them really well.
Also, I recommend making the frosting no more than 1-2 hours in advance of serving or the berries will begin to weep and melt the icing. Keep in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve, and don’t garnish until just before serving.
If you are short on time and just want the frosting, you can use a cake mix instead. Keep in mind that mixes tend to be softer and may not hold up as well against the frosting.
Pro Tips
- For best results, keep refrigerated until ready to serve, then place back in the fridge immediately after slicing.
- To give your cake a pink hue to match the frosting, add a few drops of red food coloring.
- To frost the cake, use an offset spatula to smooth it around out.
- Make sure to very gently fold in the whipped cream, or use Cool Whip instead. If your frosting is runny, it’s most often because the whipped cream was not stiff enough to begin with, or was overstirred. You can try to save it by adding some Cool Whip
More Delicious Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut Whipped Cream
- Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes
- Coconut Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling
- Strawberry Lemonade Ice Box Cake
- Mississippi Mud Cake
- Chocolate Pudding Cake
Fresh Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 1/2 cups cake flour
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs + 1 egg white
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange extract optional
- 3/4 cup + 6 tablespoons milk
Strawberry Frosting
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened brick style, full fat
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2-3 pints strawberries finely chopped (= about 2 cups chopped strawberries)
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 3, 9-inch round cake pans by spraying liberally with non-stick cooking spray.
- Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs and mix well until combined.
- Stir in sour cream, vanilla and optional orange extract, and mix well until combined.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add half of the flour mixture. Stir until fully incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl again and stir in the milk.
- Add the remaining flour, and stir until the flour is fully incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it one last stir.
- Divide the batter into 3 prepared, round baking pans.
- Bake in 325 degree oven for about 35 minutes. Cakes are done when tops spring back with a light touch, or a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before turning over onto a plate or baking rack.
Frosting
- In your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, (or with a hand held mixer) beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside, preferably in the fridge. (If you have two bowls for your stand mixer, leave it in the bowl, if not, transfer to another bowl before placing in the fridge). *NOTE – use a chilled bowl and paddle to help keep the cream cool.
- Fit the paddle attachment on your mixer and beat cream cheese on high until light and fluffy, scraping the sides a couple of times. Add the vanilla and sugar and beat on medium until fully incorporated.
- Stir in chopped strawberries on low speed. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Gently fold in the whipped cream with a spatula until well combined.
Assembly
- Place the first cake layer on your serving platter and frost just the top with the strawberry frosting (about 1/2″ or so thick). Repeat with the next two layers, then frost the sides with an offset spatula (the long and skinny kind). Smooth top and sides until even, then top with sliced strawberries for garnish, if desired.
Notes
- This cake should be refrigerated until ready to serve. The frosting should be prepared no more than 2 hours in advance. and then refrigerated.
- Make sure to very gently fold in the whipped cream, or use Cool Whip instead. If your frosting is runny, it’s most often because the whipped cream was not stiff enough to begin with, or was overstirred. You can try to save it by adding some Cool Whip.
- You can make this recipe into cupcakes. It will make 36-40 as is. If you only need 24 cupcakes, slide the servings slider to 8 servings and use those measurements. Bake time will vary, but should take approx. 20 minutes.
- For a 9×13-inch baking dish, slide the servings slider to 8 servings and use those measurements. Bake for approx. 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated in 2021 to include tips, notes and answers to frequently asked questions.
Can you substitute powder sugar for the granulated sugar in the frosting???
Yes, but the amounts would be different. I prefer the recipe as written.
I made this cake today and it came out nice I use the box cake mix. I think the frosting will last longer if you use a little can white frosting mix with the homemade frosting cause the can frosting are thick and it hold longer. Will make again in the summertime.
Fresh strawberry cake recipe. are the changes you made in this recipe for the increase in product. I would like to make it with the three layers. will make it for a company dinner. Thank you
You say to use a stand mixer but the illustrations are all using a hand mixer. Will a hand mixer do all the mixing well enough
I think you’re referring to the video in which we do use a hand mixer. My personal preference is a stand mixer because it’s just easier to use. You could use either.
i would be making tor my daughter- in- law Birthday but she dont like cream cheese but Loves Strawberrys and whip cream what would i use instead of cream cheese
You could make an all whipped cream frosting. I would search Google for a whipped cream frosting that it stable – the cream cheese stabilizing the frosting in my recipe – so it doesn’t just melt right off. The strawberries give off so much juice though, I’d worry that it would just slip right off the cake.
First time using cake flour.I might opt to use strawberry extract instead of vanilla extract in the cake batter the next time.the frosting was delicious but I used 2 packs of sour cream instead of 1. I cut the strawberries as fine as I could, looked more like course cut. Dried them on paper towels 3 times to cut excessive moisture. Thanks Kristin for the recipe.
The frosting was an epic fail. It wasn’t thick enough even after chilling to hold its shape. Next time I’ll use powdered sugar instead of regular and more of it.
Sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you, but thanks for sharing your feedback.
Love this cake, I have made it a million times. It’s the only cake my brother wants for his birthday now. I sometimes leave a layer of cake out or cut then so they are thinner.
MMMMMM
I made this cake for a family party, and it was a big hit. I thought it was delicious as well! Adding that touch of orange extract made it sooo good! I almost died when I tasted the batter, ha. I did not have cake flour, so made it with regular. I think it was a little denser then that it’s supposed to be, but no one knew the difference. The overall time it took to make ended up being more than I initially thought, but still I would make it again. It was the best tasting this I’ve ever baked.
I am trying out this cake, and I do not have any heavy cream for the frosting. (I live in a place that has limited items at the store) Is there something that you would recommend I use for a substitute?
ok just saw 35 mins, guess did not read down far enough, tks
you said to bake at 325 but it doesn’t say for how long?? I have one in the oven now, don’t know how soon you can get bac k to me.
Making this cake soon
Will this cake work as a sheet cake? Have you tried this?
I wasn’t thinking it would be tho dense, it’s actually a really good cake. I just wish I read the comments first to see it was dense. I will definitely make a different cake next time but use this frosting. The frosting is amazing!!
It’s a pound cake so it’s supposed to be somewhat dense.
Thanks so much for adding the recipe. I bought the cake mix instead of making it so it didn’t cost as much. It was a great dessert and 35th birthday treat.
I was really looking forward to making and tasting this cake. looks super delicious but unfortunately the cake recipe with epic fail , Superdry nowhere close to edible. The frosting was good but it wasn’t the best I did enjoy the fact it wasn’t super sweet but like the author said it has to be consumed in a timely matter, I would say under 2 days. I did make the mistake of refrigerating the cake day so that didn’t help the dryness ( it made it more dry) . I won’t be trying this recipe again but i do thank the author for sharing with us?
What did I do wrong? Each component tastes delicious… but it is a sloppy mess. The icing is runny and it melts like crazy!
This is the worse cake that I have ever made. I used very expensive eggs and butter. It is too dense. The icing was delicious. Boxed caked mix with added sour cream would have been much better. Sorry for the negative comment, but my family hated it except for the frosting.
Try poking holes in each layer of cake as assembling and drizzle with strawberries slices soaked in sugar (like used for shortcake) or strawberry freezer jam. This will moisten the cake. Don’t get carried away however or cake will fall apart like a sand castle with too much water
That’s a great suggestion!